The story behind this painting, entitled “Grapefruit Truck,” begins a long time ago. Ready Mr. Peabody, we’re going to set the Way-​back-​machine to February of 1974. It had been below zero in Minneapolis for weeks on end and I had just finished my second semester at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Suffering from a bad case of freshman stress syndrome, and miserable with acute eczema exacerbated by the arctic conditions of that Minnesota winter, I was definitely ready for a change.

My college roommate Darrell Poore, was from Anderson South Carolina. The meat locker weather and the Foundation Studies program at MCAD had not been agreeing with Darrell’s southern disposition either. We were both looking for a way out. We found it, however it wasn’t exactly Spring Break.

A road trip inside the mind of artist Jeffrey L. Neumann

“Step in my Rocket and don’t be late, honey we’re pullin’ out about half past eight …”

Fasten your seat belts; this could be a bumpy ride.

There are those who say visual artists should not write. Reading a lot of Artist’s Statements in my life has convinced me that in many cases, there is some truth to that. The great American painter Edward Hopper once said “If I could put it into words I wouldn’t have to paint it.” I love that. Why should I write when every picture tells a story? Because if you’re reading this, you just might be interested in what Paul Harvey called “the rest of the story.”

This blog will be an effort to take you behind the scenes in the life of a contemporary realist painter. Along the way I’ll tell the stories of how some of the work came to be, add some reflections on art and life and share the occasional Neumannism on a variety of subjects. Neumannism number one: “All great art is personal.” My aim is to create deeply personal work that speaks about the soul of America.